Mental Health

For infants, stress may be caught, not taught
New research shows that babies not only pick up on their mother's stress, they also show corresponding physiological changes.
"Our research shows that infants 'catch' and embody the physiological residue of their mothers' stressful experiences," says lead researcher Sara Waters, postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Eurekalert!

Hardships explain much of hospital asthma readmissions among black children and teens
Black children are twice as likely as white children to be readmitted to the hospital for asthma – a disparity due in large part to a greater burden of financial and social hardships, according to a new study. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found that 23 percent of black children were readmitted within a year, while 11 percent of other children in the study, most of whom were white, were readmitted within a year. Nearly 19 percent of all children were readmitted to the hospital within 12 months.

Financial and social hardships, such as lack of employment and not owning a car, accounted for about 40 percent of the increased likelihood of asthma readmissions among black children.
The study is published online in the eFirst pages of the journal Pediatrics. Eurekalert!

For young African-Americans, emotional support buffers the biological toll of racial discrimination
African American youth who report experiencing frequent discrimination during adolescence are at risk for developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke in later years, according to a new study.

The study also found that emotional support from parents and peers can protect African American youth from stress-related damage to their bodies and health. The study, by researchers at the University of Georgia and Emory University, appears in the journal Child Development. MedicalXpress

IUPUI study first to find earlier depression treatment prevents heart attacks and strokes
Research led by Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is the first to find that treatment of depression before any apparent signs of cardiovascular disease can decrease the risk of future heart attacks and strokes by almost half. IUPUI